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Setting - United States of America
The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave is also home of heroes and the land of opportunity, especially where superpowers are concerned. Out of anywhere on Earth, the United States is the preeminent destination for paragons; the United States has a long history of both heroes and villains, and the eyes of the world are frequently focused there because of it. The following is less a description of the major locations sin the United States (that can be found elsewhere) and more of a look into some of the more unique and interesting locations around the nation where adventure, intrigue, and supervillains can be found. From Sea to Shining Sea The two best known cities in the United States, at least from the perspective of the paragon population, are New York City on the east coast and Los Angeles on the west coast, the two most Super Cities in the states--and possibly in the entire world, for that matter. New York City has a long history of superpowers and unusual activity, going back to the Event and possibly even before. For many New York City and superheroes go hand in hand; the city was home to Astrea, the very first superhero to "go public", and one of the most famous superheroes in the world. More paragons call New York home than any other place in the world, and the city has learned to adapt to its extraordinary environment. Life in New York is not necessarily for the faint of heart, but those who choose to live there say they wouldn't trade it for anything. One local famously commented, "In New York, you can count on somebody coming along to save you. New York's the greatest city in the world, you just gotta be okay with the idea of needing to get saved sometimes." Los Angeles, the land of celebrity, is seen by many as New York's west coast counterpart, and it has almost the opposite experience. It seems fitting to many that Los Angeles is home to so many people from all around the world, willing to dress up in provocative costumes and try to get their time in the spotlight. For the same reason, Los Angeles has found itself home to some of the nation's most ostentatious and theatrical criminals. With smartphones, every save, every super fight, every interaction seems to find itself on camera and, eventually, to the web. Anchorage, Alaska The largest city in Alaska and home to about a third of the state's population, has resisted the change undergone by the rest of the world; they are slow to adapt to advanced technology. There is not much in the way of superhero culture in Anchorage, although the city does have its claim to paragon history. Anchorage was the site of the first battle between the Guardians and the Cosmic Dragon, after which Boomer and Borealis were both accepted onto the team as full members. The city has a large statue dedicated to the incident. Nevertheless, the city is still home to a surprising amount of crime, including drugs and human trafficking. PRA Training Facility Anchorage is also home to the Joint Based Elemdorf-Richardson. This facility is an important base for the purposes of air force training and advancement and, since 2012, has served as a major PRA training facility (nicknamed "Snowcone Base"). The agents-in-training are always on call for major paragon activity in the city, and many new advancements in PRA technology comes from the JBER facility. Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore. Called "Mobtown" and "the Monumental City", it is a populous and important city, known for its financial markets. While Baltimore does not have the paragon population, nor do they have the infamy, of New York City or even Chicago, it still does have a sizable of number of costumed heroes and villains. Locals prefer to use the term "Costumed" over "paragons" or "super-powered". Whereas New York's superhero icons have been Astrea and the Guardians, Baltimore's is known as "The Raven". Rumors of the hero's death in 2011 came as a blow to Baltimore's pride. But recent rumors and sightings of a second hero to use that identity swinging among the rooftops has even jaded Baltimore locals cheering for their local heroes. This new Raven's appearance is well-timed, as costumed crime is on the rise in Baltimore, as villains have turned to the Monumental City as an alternative to New York. The Murder League The local villainous organization, the Murder League is a criminal group with ties to drugs, extortion, murder, human trafficking, and many other crimes. They are a relatively secret organization which most villains in town have connections to. They are a monolithic group in the area, untouchable by the local police. Despite this, little is known about them, as people who dig too deep eventually...well, they end up murdered. The Outsiders Having only risen about a year ago, the Outsiders are a motley group of young paragons who tend to handle street-level, local crime. There are seven members, and they seem to not have much in the way of costumes, equipment, or gadgets. One member is a telekinetic, another can turn invisible, and another can teleport, but not much is known about the team in general The Raven This local hero is the second to use the name "The Raven". While there's no real good footage of the hero online, those who have seen him describe him as handsome, young, and stoic; he rarely speaks to the people he saves, instead doing the job of stopping the bad guys before disappearing into the shadows. Nobody is sure what his powers are, but he is clearly stronger than average and a fighter of considerable skill. Buckner Ridge, Alaska Supervillains completely changed the game when it came to law enforcement. The introduction of superheroes to counter them was seen as necessary by the public; the police and military couldn't keep up with the supervillains. Even after they were captured, it was almost too easy for many villains to escape from prison as easily as they walked in. After Dr. Nefarious escaped prison twelve times in three years, the nation knew they needed to find a better solution, and they needed to find it fast. That led to the formation of the government think tank known as the American Security Concerns (ASC), who subsequently created Lockdown, an organization dedicated to keeping super criminals safely locked away. After several months of deliberation, Lockdown proposed what has become known as "the Mountain"--a privately funded super-max prison designed to hold the world's most dangerous super-powered inmates. The idea was unanimously approved and construction on the prison began in 2004. The site chosen was a black site somewhere in the mountains of Alaska, though of course its exact location is a closely guarded secret for obvious reasons. Buckner Ridge Paragon Penitentiary is a privately owned and run super-max prison leaded to the US Federal Government for the detainment of paranormal (and otherwise unusual or dangerous) inmates. The prison has helped take the pressure off of other prisons around the country by relocating many of their inmates. It has also served as an example to many other institutions; Buckner Ridge staff and security experts have gone around the country to speak to other law enforcement organizations. The prison's exact size is unknown, but it is said to be a sprawling facility that runs deep underground and into the mountain itself. It contains some of the best security systems in world, donated by technology powerhouse Prince Industries. There has only ever been one man who managed to escape from Buckner Ridge in the last 20 years--mad scientist Dr. Nefarious, which led to his being known as "The smartest man alive". Cleveland, Ohio The Windy City has seen a variety of costumed heroes come and go in its time, from the mysterious "elastic investigator" known as Gumshoe, to the dog-loving hero known as Packmaster, and the city's greatest protector, South Wind. In the same vein, Cleveland has also seen a number of super criminals as well, from the sinister Crime Director, '''to the mournful '''Dirge, and the duplicating serial killer known as Crowd. A few Cleveland paragons, like the mysterious Codex, keeper of a vast library of obscure lore, are unclear in their allegiances, or otherwise prefer to have none. Those familiar with the occult suggest Codex may be a cosmic being, while others say he is from the Never. Whatever the case, he makes his collection available to those who manage to find their way into it, sometimes quite unexpectedly from the stacks of another library--and not always a library from Cleveland. Embouchere, Louisiana Along the Gulf Coast, near the state border between Louisiana and Mississippi is the town of Embouchere, one of many in the orbit of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta. For more than a century, the local economy has been based on shrimping and other seafood catches in the lakes, bayous, and gulf, and limited tourism to the surrounding nature preserves and wildlife refuges. Never a wealthy area, Embouchere suffered along with the rest of the Gulf Coast in the wake of the hurricane and oil spill that caused so much damage before heroes were able to limit their effects. Embouchere is noteworthy because the town has been a crossroads of criminal activity, both mundane and mystical, and indications are that it is a metaphysical crossroads, as well. Rumor has it that a group of local teenagers have teamed up to drive these criminals and monsters out of their communities. The Mayombe The Cult of the Mayombe stretches back as far as the history of voodoo itself. For as long as people have worshiped the Loa, there have been those drawn only to its corrupt side. Whether motivated by hatred, vengeance, greed, or simple lust for power, they have fallen under the influence of evil spirits and become their agents in the material world. The Mayombe's stronghold has always been in the area around Embouchere. There, the cult thrived in the shadows of the bayou late at night, when other folk were asleep. Mayombe cultists were responsible for many crimes, and they did a great deal to give voodoo its dark and sinister reputation among nonbelieves. At least a part of their power comes from intermingling between humans and debased serpent people out in the bayou. Their families often initiated members of the cult from childhood, and some bloodlines are particularly influential within the Mayombe's ranks. Lady Mamba The Mayombe came under the sway of Lady Mamba, an initiate of the cult, less than a year after the Event. Lady Mamba gave birth to two children by two fathers. Her daughter's father was human, and Dahlia inherited a measure of magical potential. Her son's father, however, was a Serpent Man, making Cottonmouth '''a mutant mix of human and reptile. The two siblings were raised in the ranks of the Mayombe as Lady Mamba's primary agents. Lady Mamba's power and influence waned as she aged, until she hatched the vicious scheme of sacrificing her own daughter's soul on the altar of her ambition, possessing her younger, stronger daughter's body and trapping her daughter's soul in an old voodoo doll. Cottonmouth Francis, more often known as "Cottonmouth", is a hideous monster. He is a half-human, half-serpent; the mixture of human and reptile blood, mixing with his mother's corrupting magic, gave birth to a nightmare. From the waist down he is a powerful serpent, while above the waist he is a scale-covered humanoid. He has snake-like eyes and can unhinge his jaw like a snake to swallow animals--including humans--whole. He does not feel like a freak, however; he was raised in a cult that practically worshiped him. He's not particularly clever and lets "Mama" do the thinking. Regardless, his immense strength, frightening speed, and corrosive venom should never be underestimated. Bayou Boys The criminal gang known as "The Bayou Boys" has besmirched the reputations of Embouchere for years, even before the Event. They have had several incarnations, but they are always recognizable to those from the region. The original Bayou Boys used Mardi Gras traditions as a cover for their criminal activities, a "private club" of sorts for planning robberies and con games. After the Event, the Bayou Boys was usurped by a paragon who called himself "Rougarou Red". He turned the New Orleans-based gang into something new, something bigger. He and the gang went in with Mardi Gras themed costumes and gimmicks, and started expanding their operations and consolidating power throughout the bayou. They would eventually run afoul of the Magister and Siren. Rougarou would be sent to prison, but the idea and tradition of the Bayou Boys refused to die. The gang became a deeply rooted criminal enterprise, branching out into racketeering, smuggling, vice, and drug peddling, which included Baron Samedi's "zombie dust". The Bayou Boys still use their traditional Mardi Gras apparel, and they communicate covertly by passing out "doubloons": small, fake plastic coins of the type often used as "throws" by legitimate Mardi Gras krewes in parades. This has transitioned from a code system using the symbols and style of the coins to ones with computer chips and transmitters, capable of working like radio-frequency ID tags. The leadership of the gang has fluctuated over the last fifteen years, and current leader of the Bayou Boys is unknown. The Crossroads Conflict For some years now, two sides of the Loa have been in the struggle for the future of humanity. One side, represented by Baron Samedi, maintains that humans are base creatures, driven only by their animal needs and should be treated as little more than chattel for the spirits able to control them. Given their way, the world would be a graveyard playground for them. Fortunately, the opposing side, represented by the Voodoo Queen, hold hope for humanity's potential and champions the cause of good, inspiring us to live up to our ideals rather than give in to the temptations of the other side. '''Midvale, Kansas Like much of the heartland of America, the town of Midvale, Kansas is a place of transition, from generations of a traditional way of life, to a future dominated by agri-business and farm subsides, and a world market for produce and farm products where the breakbasket of America is no longer as competitive as it once was. It is primarily a farming community, surrounded by family farms and fields, where the central "two roads and a stoplight" area has grown up into a thriving town to serve the community's needs. The homecoming game for the local high school's football team--the Midvale Monarchs--is still a major event in town. The remainder of Midvale's economy is driven by tourists who come to visit local geographic features like Crater Mound and Serpent's Run. Midvale has seen conflict between local farmers and "big agro" with companies like Amalthea, Inc buying up farmland, often leasing it back to local farmers in what they call "modern serfdom". Some protests against Amalthea and accusations of violents of environmental regulations and labor laws have led to bad blood in the community. Despite its idyllic, picturesque nature, there are rumors that the unusual lurks behind the facade of the ordinary and the every day, where otherworldly beings walk among the most American of backdrops. It has a high rate of disappearances and apparent "suicides". What is going on in this town? Crater Mound One of Midvale's most famous sites is Crater Mound, a circular, raised earthen mound created by a meteor impact during the Great Depression, forming a bowl-like valley surrounded by a hill that rises up above the surrounding plains. Crater Mound is state parkland now and open to visitors, and the occasional site of scientific exploration into the creation of the crater. Serpent's Run Across the plain from Crater Mound is the earthwork known locally as "Serpent's Run", similar in many regards to the Great Serpent Mound in Ohion. It is a series of earthen mounds that wind in a twisting, serpentine fashion, pointing toward (or away from) Crater Mound. Archeologists have attributed Serpent's Run to several different prehistoric cultures but, ultimately, know little about who built the earthworks or why. Some claim these ancient cultures created the mound with the knowledge of where the meteor would one day impact. Considered together, Serpent's Run and Crater Mound have earned various immature nicknames among Midvale's youth for their resemblence to "reproductive cells", and Serpent's Run has become a popular makeout site for teenagers from Midvale High. New Orleans, Louisiana The Big Easy is known around the world as the home to Mardi Gras, beloved traditions, blues music, amazing food, and strange magic. New Orleans is not known as a hub of paragon activity, but it's about on par with Miami. The city is the home of mysterious energies relating to the Loa, and magic seems to be stronger in New Orleans than other parts of the country. Unknown to most, the city is the central battleground between the light and dark loa and their servants. Magic runs rampant and borderline unchecked through New Orleans, and the nights are filled with strange nightmares beyond anything most mortals can comprehend. There are regions of New Orleans that overlap with The Never. These regions, especially a neighborhood called "Storybook Hills", are filled with strange creatures, unexplained magic, time displacement, and a rash of disappearances. The Krewe The local superteam, known as the Krewe, was founded in 2010 when the Magister (current Supreme Sorcerer),' '''the '''Voodoo Queen', and the vampire vigilante known as Lestat teamed up to fight against the Mayombe within the city. In the wake of their efforts, the three decided to join forces and became a team. Since their founding, they have brought on six additional heroes: Siren, the Big Bad Wolf, Trumpeteer, the Bagman, the Pink Lady and Summoner. Together, the Krewe fights against the forces of dark magic and evil. Pixie Dust A new drug flooding New Orleans' streets. Nobody knows where it's coming from, but it seems to be a magical drug, possibly originating from The Never. The drug appears to open the third eye of those who take it, allowing them to see magical energies and certain entities that are normally invisible to human eyes. Those who take it become hopelessly addicted to the imagery and euphoric feelings, eventually going mad and disappearing...or, according to some, turning into faeries themselves. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania During the Industrial Revolution, towns and cities like Pittsburgh built America from a rural former colony into a land of towering cities and powerful rail lines. For decades, the factories and foundries of the "Steel City" turned out the metalwork that raised up a nation. Now a part of the Rust Belt, Pittsburgh has been in decline ever since heavy manufacturing began moving overseas. The city's population shrank to almost half of what it was at its height more than half a century ago, and virtually all of its factories are closed and boarded over, slowly rusting away and forgotten. Some of the new economy of information and technology has taken hold in Pittsburgh, with a local tech-firm called Epsilon Media providing new job opportunities and buying up some old properties and investing in other new, local companies. Still, urban decay and crime are rampant in Pittsburgh, with citizens keeping their doors locked and with others afraid to go out after dark. Recently, however, the criminals of Pittsburgh are finding a reason to fear of their own: rumors of mysterious vigilantes operating in their city, providing leads to the police, or simply going outside the law to do what the authorities cannot. One is the hacker known as "The Witness", 'who has anonymously provided police with digital evidence and leads, as well as posting video online and stealing millions from criminal bank accounts and donating to charity to rebuild Pittsburgh's poorest neighborhoods. There's also the crime-fighter the press have called '"Blackjack" after his trademark of leaving a Jack of Spades to mark or warn his targets. He's apparently a masked fighter of considerable skill who uses a staff or a baton-like weapon. Blackjack may or may not be working with the Witness (some speculate they're the same person), but their mutual activities have given hope to the people of Pittsburgh and may be inspiring a new generation of heroes there. Red Rocks, Arizona On the outskirts of the Painted Desert area of Arizona is the town of Red Rocks, named for the distinctive color of the stone formations around it. Originally a rough and tumble frontier town mostly noted for prospectors, rail wars, and gunfights, Red Rocks has become a tourist stop for visitors to the Painted Desert and the area's other natural wonders, with a mixed Anglo, Latino, and Native American population. Magic Mesa In the desert not far from Red Rocks stands a lone tower of rock, rising up above the painted sands, casting a long shadow in the rising and setting sun. Native legends speak of it as a place of power, where the spirits dwell and where braves went on vision quests seeking their wisdom and aid. Those who know of it call it Magic Mesa, and say it's a place where strange things happen, a place best avoided by those who know what's good for them. Most modern magicians and scholar claim Magic Mesa is a nexus; a gateway between worlds, where someone lost in the desert can find a dark tower of stone, then wander away from it to end up somewhere quite different from where they started. It's a place where space and time have little meaning, and distant places and times sometimes touch. It's a well of mystic power and insight. In the days of the Old West, Magic Mesa was a sacred place to the local tribes, and became the sanctum of Broken Crow, a powerful Sioux shaman and the Supreme Sorcerer of his age. Its magic helped resurrect Adam Prophet, the Pale Rider, and may have influenced many other fantastic tales in the Old West. After Broken Crow's death at Wounded Knee, the location of Magic Mesa was lost to all but a few, although stories continued of people traveling in the desert and stumbling across it, for good or ill. Those who seek Magic Mesa to exploit its power discover--to their regret--that it is guarded to this day. Dust Devil The Dust Devil is the mysterious elemental guardian of Magic Mesa, who is said to watch over the region until a new caretaker can be found for the Black Tower. The Dust Devil is a savage, single-minded creature who protects the region from poachers, thieves, and those who wish to exploit the region's magical power. Within the creature of shifting sand dwells a human spirit, it is said. Nobody knows if this is true, but the entity does take on a distinct, humanoid form according to the few witnesses who saw it and lived to tell the tale. Salem, New Hampshire Nestled on the eastern side of Mystery Hill is the town of Salem: a sleepy New England town on the surface, but concealing strange depths known only to a few. Salem was founded in the mid-1700s, well known for their involvement int he Revolutionary War on the side of the colonies. An important family to the city's founding was the Hale family, who were great supporters of the Yankees during the war, and had many logging and mining interests. The family also hosted a prominent local university known as Hale College (now home to the Hale Highlanders football team). The Hale House, the family's estate built in 1809, is situated on a large plot of land not far from what is now the center of town. Since the decline of its forestry and mining industries, Salem's economy has been driven primarily by education and tourism. Hale College sees an influx of students each fall, and relations between "town and gown" are occasionally tense: the locals often find Hale students troublemakers, while the students at the college (especially moneyed transplants) consider the locals backwards townies. Nearby Mystery Hill sees plenty of hiking in the summers and skiing in the winters. The occasional disappearance in the area are chalked up to accidents, bad weather, or wild animal attacks, and kept quiet by the local police department, so as to not cause any bad publicity. Mystery Mountain Salem is in the shadow of Mystery Hill, the largest peak in the southern New Hampshire area, situated some distance from a spur of the White Mountains. "The sun sets early in Salem", the locals say, given the vivid sunsets over the peak of the mountain as its shadow spreads eastward over the town in the early evening. Although some granite quarrying and mining took place in the area generations ago, the whole area has been a state park since the 1930s, and the only commercial enterprise is the Mystery Mountain Ski and Recreation area. Colorful local legends refer to the peak as "the Devil's Mountain" and talk about covens of witches meeting in dark groves along its slopes, or sightings of strange lights or shapes late at night. There is some truth to the legends. M.E.R.L.I.N. has allegedly found evidence that Mystery Hill marks a dimensional "fault line" and nexus, allowing extradimensional energies (and sometimes beings) to slip into Earth's reality. Abandoned quarries and mine shafts have connections to Sub-Terra, while those of a mystical bent have sought to exploit, or guard against, alignments of power here. Manaka Root This rare North American plant is only found in parts of central New England. Originally somewhat common, it was believed extinct (and even mythical) until it was found in the wake of the Event in 2001. Native American lore claims manaka root grants great strength, speed, and stamina, if used sparingly. In a small portion of the population, manaka root can grant superhuman physical abilities in short bursts, lasing not much more than 10 minutes or so. Local legends state that a masked vigilante of the Revolutionary War era known as "Minuteman" used manaka root for just this purpose. Compounds extracted and synthesized from manaka root have been used in experiments to create permanent physical enhancements. Unfortunately, large and regular doses of the plant have serious side-effects, such as cardiac arrest, internal bleeding, or organ failure with repeated use. San Francisco, California The "Gateway City" of the West Coast, San Francisco is a center of culture and commerce, and the urban hub of nearby Silicon Valley in the southern Bay Area. While lacking the kind of superhuman activity that Los Angeles has become famous for, San Francisco has a few super features of its own that make it a Gateway City in more ways than most people know. First, the city not only lies close to a geological fault line (the San Andreas Fault) but to a metaphysical one as well. The Bay Area, especially the peninsula, was (until recently) a natural nexus for geomantic and "earth energy" ley lines, which recently shattered (see below). At least park of the city's famous fog banks is not just water vapor, but a blurring and overlapping dimensions. People sometimes "slip" from world to world in San Francisco, accounting for the mysterious disappearances and incidents. Secretive residents of the city's Chinatown have been researching the strange forces at work there. Dr. Sin and the Dragon Society, among others, work in the shadows to take opportunities presented by the alignment of certain mystical energies. Guardians against the rising tide of chaos and dark magic have put up a valiant fight over the last two years, but bit by bit, it seems as if the heroes may lose the struggle if something doesn't change soon. Matters came to a head in the recent alignment of worlds resulting from Imperius' invasion of Earth. This caused the veil between our world and other dimensions to shatter, warping reality throughout the Bay Area. Most notable is the breech leading to what some local experts call "The Dimension of Doors"; a realm connecting all other mystical dimensions. During the conjunction, a mysterious group known as The Door Wardens appeared in the area around the breech, working to keep all Earthbound residents away from the breech--save for the hero known only as Gatekeeper. The Blue Bombers While technically from neighboring Oakland, the Blue Bombers are just as much considered a San Francisco team (their business cards and agency states that they are a "Bay Area Team"). The Blue Bombers have not achieved the kind of fame or cult of personality as the Guardians or the Golden Champions, but they are something of local celebrities. Founded in 2006, the roster of the Blue Bombers has changed quite a bit through the years, though the three core members of Commander Cerulean, Blue Bell, '''and '''Midnight have remained consistent through that time. They are established, trusted names in the Bay Area, and have protected the region from many diabolical schemes over time. Their most notable enemy is the notorious Dr. Sin. ' ' Gatekeeper A hero who rose in the wake of the conjunction that occurred during the Imperius Invasion, the Gatekeeper is allegedly a human from Earth appointed to the position of "Gatekeeper" by the mysterious Door Wardens. His stated goal is to protect San Francisco from the "Things Behind the Doors", and to also make sure nobody from our side of the door messes with the Breech. Gatekeeper has quickly become a celebrity in the city, a hero with much more power than any other in San Francisco. Some even say he's Guardians-level in power, though he claims to have no interest in joining the team (not that they've asked). He functions as a "living portal" between dimensions, accessing any dimension through simple gestures and teleporting to nearly anywhere on Earth. He can cause things to disappear into the folds of his cloak and reappear later, as well as allow things to pass harmlessly through his body. Washington, DC The nation's capitol is a monument to patriotic pride as well as a target to all those seeking to make an example of America, or to tear down all it has built. Fortunately, the nation's defenders--both paragon and otherwise--have prevented widespread disaster in Washington, DC. The Paranormal Regulatory Agency The Paranormal Regulatory Agency, more commonly known as the PRA, is headquartered in Washington, along with most other federal agencies. The PRA's mandate is to deal with "unusual threats" to the nation and its citizns, which usually include superhuman criminals and terrorist organizations, such as SHADOW, with access to unusual technology and resources. The American Man To the world and the people of the District, the man called the American Man is one of the country's leading defenders of freedom and protector of liberty. Thanks to a top-secret project, the American Man is a top-agent of the PRA, imbued with incredible strength, flight, telepathy, and enhanced regeneration. What most people do not know is that the American Man's power is literally derived from the public--the more people believe in him, the stronger he is. In fact, it seems that public opinion can allegedly alter his power set. When the PRA needs a paragon operative of their own, the American Man is the one they call out. He is seen as an enduring hero and the representation of the American dream. Other Notable Locations in the United States * Boston, Massachusetts * Chicago, Illinois * Detroit, Michigan * Miami, Florida * Oakland, California * Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * Phoenix, Arizona * Portland, Oregon * Seattle, Washington